self-aggrandizement
Meaning
The act of making oneself seem more important or powerful than one really is.
Structure
Usage
His speech was less a policy address and more an exercise in blatant self-aggrandizement.
The biography avoids self-aggrandizement, offering a surprisingly humble account of her achievements.
The culture of social media often encourages self-aggrandizement over genuine connection.
Etymology
The word is a compound formed from the English reflexive pronoun 'self' and the verb 'aggrandize'. 'Aggrandize' entered English in the 17th century from French agrandir, which itself derives from the Latin phrase ad grandire ('to make great'). The Latin components are ad- ('to') and grandis ('large, great'). The suffix '-ment', of Latin origin via French, converts the action into a noun denoting the process or result. Thus, 'self-aggrandizement' literally means 'the process of making oneself great', evolving from a neutral description of enlargement to a specifically pejorative term for boastful and excessive self-promotion.
Analysis
- self (Old English): A prefix meaning 'one's own person'. - aggrandize (Latin via French): The verb root from Latin aggrandire, meaning 'to make greater'. - ment (Latin via French): A noun-forming suffix indicating an action, process, or state.